Store-service apparatus



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. T. COWLEY.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. N0. 378,542. Patented Feb. 28, 18 88.

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N. PEIERS. Pinko-Lithographer. Washinglnll. D.C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. COWLEY.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 378,542. Patented Feb.'28,'1888.

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JAMES T. COWLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON STORESERVICE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,542, dated February28, 1888,

Application filed April 13, 1887.

To aZZ whom it may concern! Be it known that I, JAMES T. COWLEY, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStoreService Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements instore-service apparatus; and it consists, substantially, in theconstruction, arrangement, and combinations of parts to be hereinaftermore particularly set forth.

The class of store service apparatus for which the invention is moreparticularly designed is that wherein the car is raised and caused todescend onto the track by means of a flexible elevator arranged at oneor both ends of the track, and which also acts to receive the car on itsreturn and lower it to within convenient reach of the operator orattendant. With this class of apparatus it has been found in practicethat the car frequently becomes unseated from its place while travelingthe track or way, thereby causing consid' erable inconvenience, and so,too, has it been found that in suddenly elevating the car by means ofthe flexible elevator the same thing often occurs, as well also when thecar arrives at the end of the way with an excess of speed or velocity.

The object of this invention is to prevent the car from becomingdisplaced or unseated from the track or elevator accidentally, butpermit its ready removal from the track when desired.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Fign re 1 represents in sideelevation a car and part of the way-support embodying my improvements,the same indicating the car as having been received by the flexibleelevator and being lowered toward the operator, and also representingthe manner in which the yielding gates are operated by the trip devicearranged at the end of the supportingbracket for the track or way. Fig.2 is asimilar view representing the car as elevated and about to descendupon the track or way. Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view ofthe bracket and end view of the car. Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of thesupporting-bracket and car,

Serial No. 234,692. (No model.)

representing the latter as about to be received by or descended from theelevator.

In the class of store-service apparatus referred to, in order that thepassage of the car to and from the track and elevator be madein a director straight line, it is usual to provide supporting-brackets for theends of the track or way slightly curved outward to one side of the partsupporting said ends, by which to accommodate the passage of the carfrom the elevator to the track, and vice versa, the extremity of thebracket being provided with an extension to which the'tracl; is securedor fastened, such extension being jointed and forming the connectionbetween the elevator and track. This described construction andarrangement of parts has rendered it difficult heretofore to prevent thecars from slipping at times from the way. made to secure this resnltbyapplying hinged gates to the cars; but such gates have been so formedthat on the cars descending on the elevator-rope the latter would oftenslip between the gate and the wheels and the car would fall to thefloor.

In my improvement the car is provided with automatically-yieldinggates,whiclnwhile acting effectually to prevent displacement of the car fromthe track and elevator, also permit the car to pass, without danger ofslipping, the supports for the end of the way.

Reference being had to the several parts by the letters marked thereon,A represents the supporting-bracket for the end of the track or way, thesame having a blade or offset, a, to support a bar, w, in line with andsupporting the end of the track in proper alignment with the flexibleelevator I, and provided with a frame or yoke, B, in which is journaleda grooved wheel or pulley, b, the said pulley being supported slightlyabove the plane of the track or way, as shown, by which to give to theflexible elevator an incline to carry the car onto the way. To the innerend of the bar w is hinged a link, d, to which one end of the flexibleelevator I is secured in the manner shown.

Beneath the blade to is secured, by screws or otherwise, a trip deviceconsisting,preferably, of a curved arm, F, having inclined or cam-Efforts have been shaped ends designed to automatically operate theyielding gates of the car in the manner hereinafter explained.

G represents the car, and H the receptacle for cash or parcels,suspended thereto in any well-known manner. This car is constructed of ayoke or frame having two grooved or flanged wheels for traveling thetrack or way, the said yoke or frame extending below the periphery ofthe flanged wheels at one side and beneath the same to the oppositeside, where it terminates on a plane in vertical line with the outerfaces of the wheels.

H H represent two blades or gates, each formed at one end with a hollowhub, j, for the passage of a screw or pivot securing it to the yoke orframe, while the other end of the gate has a slot, Z, through whichextends'a guidelug, 2', on the frame, each of said gates havingprojecting from the side thereof a pin supporting a small roller, m, andthe two gates being drawn together by a spring, M, the tendency of whichis to normally maintain the gates in their upper position when theyclose V the space between the frame and wheels, so

that the car cannot possibly leave the track.

At the outer end of each gate is an ear, 1), for a purpose describedhereinafter.

The car having been elevated by drawing upon the flexible cord orelevator and bringing it to the position shown in Fig. 2, the said carwill descend by gravity toward the blade a, and in so doing the rollersm of the gates will come in contact with the inner inclined or curvedend of the arm F, and will be successively automatically lowered ordrawn down to permit the car to pass the supporting-blade a untilcarried beyond the outer curved end of said arm or trip F, whereupon thegates will again be drawn upwardly by the spring connecting the same,thereby closing the space between the frame and the wheels, preventingthe car from becoming accidentally displaced from the track. On reachingthe opposite end of the track or way these gates will yield in likemanner, and after pass- 7 ing the trip or arm will close together insuch manner as to prevent the car from falling or dropping from theflexible elevator, by which it is received in the manner indieatedinFig. 2.

Should the car descend abruptly, so that the flexible elevator passes toone side of the wheel, it is prevented from passing between the wheeland gate by the car 12, beneath which the elevator-rope catches, asshown in Fig. 1, thereby tending to hold the gate up, instead of forcingit down and away from the wheel,

as heretofore. It will be seen that, by virtue of the construction ofthe yoke or frame of the car and the arrangement of the gates, the carwill always be maintained in place on the track and elevator, and alsothat the said car can readily be removed when desired by simplydepressing the gates by hand.

Instead of attaching or securing the supporting-bracket at itsextremeinner end, I may provide a lateral extension, X, to secure thesame to a side wall or support, as shown in Fig. 4, dotted lines.

While I have shown certain constructions and arrangements of parts, I donot wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto in precise detail,since various changes therefrom could be resorted to and still comewithin the scope of my invention.

for the way, of a trip device secured to the bracket and consisting ofan arm, F, having inclined ends, and a car traveling the way, providedwith automatic spring actuated gates adapted to contact with and betripped by said trip device, substantially as set forth.

2. In cash or parcel cars, the combination, with the yoke or framecarrying the grooved wheels, of gates H H, pivoted to the yoke, asshown, and a spring connecting the gates, said gates having projectionsextending laterally from their sides, whereby the gates may be tripped,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a wheeled carrier, of yielding gates pivotedthereto and provided with ears 12, substantially as described.

4- The combination, with the track or way and means for supportingthe'same, of a flexible elevator, and a car traveling the way, providedwith spring-actuated gates for preventing displacement thereof from saidway, said gates having ears 1), substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

5. The combination, with a wheeled carrier, of the pivoted gate H,having contactingroller m, slot Z, and a guide-lug, i, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES T. COWLEY.

Witnesses:

EDWIN L. Guns, 0. W. LOOKE.

